#featherbed

1969 Norton Mercury

Gendry vaguely remembered claiming he wasn't going to the concert throughout the next couple of days. He swore he said no countless times. Yet, here he was at the edge of the carnival with the other three. They checked a couple of backpacks for supplies, then handed them off to Lommy and Hot Pie. The excuse was that if Gendry had to carry Arry, then neither needed to be responsible for snacks or drinks. Was it fair? No. Did he care? Also, no.  As they got closer, Gendry put on his best scowl to deter anyone from getting near them.

The music wasn't awful, he decided. Most of the entertainment came from his friends, who were either dramatic or couldn't carry a tune. After a while, Arry gave his back and shoulders a reprieve when the band brought things down a notch. The fished out their drinks from the backpacks to fight off the summer heat. Evenings weren't as bad here as they were in Dorne, but with a crowd this size, it made things worse.  The group went crazy when the lead singer sang a line of lyrics. Arry quickly stashed her water bottle away and began to dance with Lommy.

He found himself smiling at how Lommy and Hot Pie would trade places. At one point, they tried to convince him to join in, but he'd lift the backpacks in both hands as an excuse. Arry smiled brightly, giggling at the way they spun her around. She loved to dance, he realized. For all the bravado about being one of the guys, she enjoyed the little things, too. Distracted by the scene, he didn't notice another creeping closer to them. An older guy took advantage of the others passing Arry with a spin, then caught her wrist. Possibly, the older man meant no harm, but in no scenario would he let her dance with him. He swung the bags at Hot Pie's chest and stepped between them.

"No," Gendry chuckled seriously and shook his head. The situation didn't need to get out of hand, and it looked like the stranger was too drunk to notice a difference. He twisted the man's wrist with some pressure until he let go of Arry, then turned him around to another woman nearby.

"I could have handled it," she said from beside him. Of course, she hated  playing the damsel role.

"You could have," he took her hand and spun her inward to his chest. Any argument Arry had for him was silenced as he shifted her into his arms. "But it was my turn," Gendry adjusted his arms, then dipped her. She laughed as her world turned upside-down momentarily, waving at the boys.

"Me next, me next," Lommy cheered. "I want to be dipped by a knight!"

Hot Pie gawked, "where did ya learn how to do that?"

"I have my secrets," he righted his dance partner and wiggled his eyebrows at their friends. Oddly enough, when Gendry was able to pay attention to the band again, their dance was in sync with the lyrics. Arry could definitely be some maiden of a tree with her wild behavior. She laughed and smiled, then he spun her out as the song suggested.

The Wolf and The Stag